Adjustable table supporting construction



June 25, 1963 G. F. CLOW 3,

ADJUSTABLE TABLE SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

George E Claw INVENTOR.

June 25, 1963 e. F. c| ow ADJUSTABLE TABLE SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

George F. C/o W [N VEN TOR.

max yaw Em United States Patent 3,094,948 ADJUSTABLE TABLE SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION George F. Clow, 2145 Andover Court, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Filed Mar. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 182,048 5 Claims. (Cl. 108-10) This invention relates to an adjustable support for table tops used for drafting, cutting, layout, etc.

.. The primary object of the present invention is to provide a table top support designed for a specific purpose,

namely, a vertically adjustable and angularly adjust-able support for tables that is turdy, collapsible and will meet the requirements of architects, geologists, map makers or anyone who does drafting in the-ofiice, home or fields.

In accordance with the foregoing object, the adjustable .table top support of the present invention is readily adjustable to a plurality of positions and reliably maintained in adjusted position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide .an adjustable table top support which is collapsible to a reduced dimension so as to render the assembly ideal for storage and transport purposes. r

The adjustable table top support construction ofthe present invention is also ideally suited for classroom Work 'not only because of its convenient storage and adjust- .ability attributes, but also because of the simplicity in construction, handling and the rugged nature of its construction. Adjustment of the supports is therefore accomplished without the use of extensible parts, tightening or loosening of lock nuts and bolts as a result of which breakage of parts is avoided and the use of tools eliminated.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the adjustable table top construction of the present invention in one position tially through aplane indicated by'sectionline 44 in F-IGURE3.

Referring nowtto the drawings in detail, it will be observed that the adjustable table support construction of the present invention is generally referred to by reference numeral and includes a horizontal frame assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 12 with respect to which a board rest assembly generally referred to by reference numeral14'is angularly positionedfor support thereon of a'drafting board 16. The horizontal frame assembly 12 is'maintain'ed in horizontal position and in vertically adjusted relation above the floor or supporting surface by means of foldable leg means generally referred to by reference numeral 16'.

The horizontal frame assembly 12 includes a pair of parallel spaced arms or frame members 18 which may be made of any suitable wood. The frame members are interconnected by a vertically disposed anchoring member 20 located adjacent the ends 22 of the frame members which are also interconnected by a horizontally disposed anchoring member 24 spaced from the member 20 brace member 60 and a lock rod or bar 62.

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intermediate the ends 22 and the ends 26 of the frame members. Disposed on the bottom edge of the frame members 18, closer to the ends 22 thereof, are a plurality of vertical adjusting notches 28 with which the leg means 16' is engageable for vertical adjustment of the horizontal frame assembly 12 as will hereafter be explained. Disposed on the upper edge of the frame members 18 closer to the ends '26 thereof, are a plurality of angle adjusting notche 30 which are engageable by the board rest assembly 14 for angular adjustable support thereof on the frame assembly 12.

The board rest assembly 14 therefore includes a pair of parallel spaced members 32 which are pivotally connected by pivot bolts 34 to the ends 22 of the frame members 1-8 and disposed on the outside thereof. Board retaining shoulder formations 36 are formed at the lower ends of the members 32 adjacent to the pivotal connection for holding the board 16 on the top edges of the members 32. The members 32 are interconnected by the brace member 3 8 spaced from the pivot bolt connections 34. Also pivot-ally connected to the members 32 adjacent the brace member 38 and on the outside thereof, are a pair of tilt adjusting members 40 interconnected by a bar 42 which is engageable with any one of the angle adjusting notches 30 to thereby support the board rest assembly 14 in its angularly adjusted position with respect to the horizontal frame assembly 12. The load of the board 16 supported on the assembly 14 will maintain the tilt bar 42 within the notch 30 in which it is seated. It will also be apparent, that upon lifting of the tilt bar 42, the assembly 14 may be folded down upon the horizontal frame assembly 12.

The leg means 16' is arranged to not only provide height adjustment for the table support 10, but also to conveniently fold into a collapsed condition occupying a minimum of space.

Accordingly, the leg means includes an inside leg assembly consisting of a pair of parallel spaced inner leg members 44 the upper ends 46 of which are pivotally connected by any suitable pivot bolts 48 to the ends 26 of the frame members 18 and on the outside thereof.- The inner leg members 44 are maintained inparallel spacedrelation by means of a pair of interconnecting brace members 50 and 52 disposed adjacent to the upper and lower ends of the leg members 44. Piovtally connected to the leg members 44 onthe outside thereof, are a pair of parallel spaced outer leg members 54 by means of the pivot 'bolts 56. The outer leg members 54 thus form an outer leg assembly having an interconnecting brace member adjacent the lower ends of the leg members while adjacent to the upper ends of the outer leg members 54 is an interconnecting The lock bar 62 is adapted to be received within any of the height adjusting notches 28 to thereby adjust the vertical height of a plane defined between the upper ends of the inner and outer leg assemblies upon which the horizontal frame assembly 12 is supported. It will be noted that the load of the board .16 will be applied on opposite sides of the locking bar 62 interconnecting the leg members 44, 5480 as to prevent shifting of the foldable leg means 16'. However, engagement between the outer leg assembly and the horizontal frame member in any adjusted position is secured by a releasable lock mechanism generaly referred to by reference numeral 64.

The lock mechanism 64 includes a bar or slide mounting member 66 secured to the anchoring members 20 and 24in suspended relation therebelow. A slot 68 is formed within the slide mounting member 66 for slidably receiving a keeper or locking slide member 70 preferably made of some rigid material such as metal as compared to the materials of which the other parts are made, preferably wood. The locking slide member 70 is therefore formed with a T formation 72 for retention thereof within the slot 68 of the mounting member 66 and has connected thereto a spring element 74 anchored to the mounting member 66' adjacent the anchoring member 24 so as to bias the locking slide member 70 into a position wherein the locking notches 76 thereof which are defined by a series of spaced fingers 77, are aligned with the height adjusting notches 28' on the bottom edges of the frame members 18, said fingers being selectively engagea-ble under the bar or rod 62, as shown. Accordingly, the locking bar 62 received within a pair of notches 28 in the frame members 18, will be locked in such position. In order to release the locking bar 62 so that the horizontal frame may be pivotallyraised with respect to the pivot bolts 48 in order to adjust the height of the leg means, a finger grip portion 78 of the locking slide 70 may be grasped so as to displace the locking slide against the bias of the spring element 74 to bring the locking notches 76 out of alignment with the notches 28. Once the horizontal frame assembly 12 is readjusted with respect to the locking bar on the outer leg assembly, the slide lock 70 may be released so as to again lock the locking bar within the height adjusting notches 28.

It will be observed that a pair of spring elements 80 are interconnected by hooks and eyes to the interconnecting brace members 50 and 60 on the inner and outer legs respectively. Accordingly, the upper ends of the inner and outer leg members are biased toward each other to resist the tendency of the loads to physically displace the upper ends of the leg members further apart. Vertical adjustment is thereby facilitated. However, when it is desired to collapse the adjustable support, the spring elements 80' will be removed so that the legs may be folded flat against each other up against the bottom of the frame assembly 12 forming a compact folded assembly for purposes herebefore indicated.

From the foregoing description, operation and utility of the adjustable collapsible supports: will be apparent. It will be appreciated that construction of thesupport is not only of a relatively simpledesign capable of being manufactured with economy, but would not rely upon lock nut, usual types of adjusting devices or extensible parts and yet is able to achieve comparable adjustment both in height and angular position for any table top surface. Furthermore, the construction enables collapse of the support into dimensionally convenient assembly for storage or transport purposes.

The toregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to. limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimedas new is as follows:

1. An adjustable and collapsible table top support comprising horizontal frame means, foldable leg means pivotally connected to one end' of the horizontal frame means and adjustably engageable with, the frame means adjacent the other end thereof for vertically adjustable support of the frame means in horizontal position, angularly adjustable top support means pivotally connected to the frame means at said other end thereof, releasable lock means movably' mounted on the frame means -f01 engagement with the leg means adjacent said other end of the frame means for locking the leg means in adjusted position on the. frame means, said frame means comprising a pair of parallel spaced. frame members interconnected" by spaced; anchoring members on which said lock means is mounted in suspended relation the-rebelow, and height adjusting notch means formed on said frame members closer to said other end of the frame means and top-angle adjusting notch means formed on said frame member closer to said one end of the frame means, said lock means including slide means mounted between said frame members having locking notch means aligned with the height adjusting notch means for locking engagement with the leg means. and release means connected to the slide means for displacement of said locking notch means out of alignment.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said foldable leg means includes an inner leg assembly pivotally connected at an upper end to said framemeans on outer sides of said flame members, an outer leg assembly pivotally connected to the inner leg assembly, lock bar means connected to said outer leg assembly adjacent an upper end thereof for engagement with said lock means and height adjusting notch means and spring means interconnecting said leg assemblies for biasing the upper ends thereof toward each other.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said top support means includes a board rest assembly pivotally connected to said flame means at said other end on outer sides of the frame member and a tilt bar assembly pivotally connected to the rest assembly for engagement with the angle adjusting notch means on the frame means between the upper ends of the leg assemblies.

4. An adjustable and collapsible table top support comprising pairs of legs crossed atan intermediate point and pivotally connected for swinging adjustment in a vertical plane relative to each other, a pair of vertically swingable arms having one end portion pivotally secured to theupper end portions ofone of the pairs of legs, said arms having spaced notches in their free end portions, a rod' extending between the upper end portions of the other pair of legsrfor supporting said free end portions of the 1 arms and engageable selectively in the notches for releasably securing the legs in adjusted position, a top support on the arms, and means for releasably securing the rod in the notches, said means including a bar mounted on and between the arms in spaced parallelism therewith, said bar having a longitudinal slot therein, and a keeper slidahle on the bar and operable in the slot, saidkeeper including a series of spaced fingers selectively engageable under the rod for locking the arms thereon.

5. The combination of claim 4, said means further including a spring connected to the keeper for yieldingly urging same toward operative position.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 879,620 Forsyth Feb. 18, 1908 1,142,673 Cozzens June 8, 1915 1,670,145 Farrington May 15 1928 2,560,679 Zalkind July. 17, 1951 2,916,340 Jackson Dec. 8, 1959 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE AND COLLAPSIBLE TABLE TOP SUPPORT COMPRISING HORIZONTAL FRAME MEANS, FOLDABLE LEG MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO ONE END OF THE HORIZONTAL FRAME MEANS AND ADJUSTABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE FRAME MEANS ADJACENT THE OTHER END THEREOF FOR VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT OF THE FRAME MEANS IN HORIZONTAL POSITION, ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE TOP SUPPORT MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE FRAME MEANS AT SAID OTHER END THEREOF, RELEASABLE LOCK MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE FRAME MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LEG MEANS ADJACENT SAID OTHER END OF THE FRAME MEANS FOR LOCKING THE LEG MEANS IN ADJUSTED POSITION ON THE FRAME MEANS, SAID FRAME MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL SPACED FRAME MEMBERS INTERCONNECTED BY SPACED ANCHORING MEMBERS ON WHICH SAID LOCK MEANS IS MOUNTED IN SUSPENDED RELATION THEREBELOW, AND HEIGHT ADJUSTING NOTCH MEANS FORMED ON SAID FRAME MEMBERS CLOSER TO SAID OTHER END OF THE FRAME MEANS AND TOP ANGLE ADJUSTING NOTCH MEANS FORMED ON SAID FRAME MEMBER CLOSER TO SAID ONE END OF THE FRAME MEANS, SAID LOCK MEANS INCLUDING SLIDE MEANS MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID FRAME MEMBERS HAVING LOCKING NOTCH MEANS ALIGNED WITH THE HEIGHT ADJUSTING NOTCH MEANS FOR LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LEG MEANS AND RELEASE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SLIDE MEANS FOR DISPLACEMENT OF SAID LOCKING NOTCH MEANS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. 